Fundraising Tips

One of the goals of the Law Enforcement Torch Run is to raise funds for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois. Below is our LETR formula for a successful Torch Run Year.

Step 1 – Set a fundraising goal for your agency/department

Department goals should be ambitious but attainable. Existing departments are encourage to set a goal that exceeds their previous year’s total. For new departments, check out this list of last year’s fundraising totals by department. Look at what other agencies or departments about your size have achieved and consider that when setting your goal.

Whatever your goal is, make sure that you periodically inform everyone in your department on your progress. For example, “We have raised $2,800 so far for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois. We are almost halfway to our goal of $6,000!”

Step 2 – Form a committee

A committee is very helpful in terms of organization and relieving one person from all the responsibilities. If your department is large, forming a committee of representatives from all areas of your agency will improve communication with officers on different shifts. If your department is small, consider having individuals from your community or other city departments join in your efforts. Effective lines of communication will increase the success of your efforts.

Step 3 – Delegate responsibility to committee members

One idea is to separate your department’s Torch Run responsibility between committee members. Have one committee member in charge of the logistics of the intra-state relay in your town. Have another in charge of the LETR merchandise distribution and tracking. Finally have a third be responsible for coordinating a department fundraising event. Also consider assigning different committed officers as champions for various department priorities. This will allow for the development of others to step up into leadership roles and keep your department efforts going strong.

Step 4 – Use Incentives to help motivate officers

Individual departments that raise at least $5,000 will receive a plaque of appreciation at the following year’s Kickoff. Departments raising $15,000 or more will get their department name on the back of the next year’s Torch Run t-shirt. Your department also qualify for a variety of year end incentives based off your total fundraising amount. Incentive opportunities include but are not limited to Torch Run apparel, Summer Games hotel stay and the opportunity to attend the International Torch Run Conference.

Submitting Donations

All donations should be submitted to Special Olympics Illinois within 30 days. This is extremely important so that we can ensure accurate projections for the year and ensure all checks/credit cards are processed in a timely manner.

To submit funds please follow the below steps

Submit all donations within 30 days of an event

Convert all cash into a money order or cashier check

Complete a Donor Form. Be sure to include your departments name and Leg number to ensure funds are credited correctly

Special Olympics Created by the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation. Special Olympics Illinois. Authorized and
Accredited by Special Olympics, Inc. for the Benefit of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.